Escape from Manipulation
by Caz251
Summary: Summary: Harry tries to escape Dumbledore’s manipulations only to be caught by another. Warning: Character Death. Spoilers: General spoilers, especially for the end of HP and the Order of Phoenix.


**Title:** Escape from Manipulation

**Author:** Caz251

**Fandom:** Harry Potter

**Characters:** Harry, Voldemort mentions of Dumbledore, Sirius and the goblins.

**Rating:** Pg-13

**Summary:** Harry tries to escape Dumbledore's manipulations only to be caught by another.

**Spoilers:** General spoilers, especially for the end of HP and the Order of Phoenix.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, or anything associated with it.

**AN:** Something a little bit different from me. Let me know what you think, criticism be it constructive or not is always welcome.

In the smallest room of a perfectly normal house with perfectly normal residents sat a boy so unnatural that his relatives had gifted him with the name and title – FREAK. The boy sat on his threadbare mattress thinking about fate, life and death, but his thoughts mostly lingered on death, the death of his godfather to be precise. Thoughts of his godfather made him despair because he knew that that it was his fault that he was dead, if he hadn't gone off with half formed plans and a saving people thing, he would still be alive. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him, he had gone to save his godfather, only to get him killed in the process. However, he did accept the fact that the blame was not all his to burden, the old coot Dumbledore had more than enough of the blame.

He really hated the old git, the charred remains of a letter stared up at him from the floor in front of him, some words still visible to his sight. 'Stay in the house', 'no letters', 'letters from the bank', 'trap'. Harry knew he was being manipulated, it was blindingly obvious to anyone with half a brain, what he didn't know was what to do about the situation. While thinking about his predicament, he remember the letter he had received from Gringotts earlier that morning, he had quickly scanned it then put it to the side when Fawkes had appeared with Dumbledore's letter. Certain words and phrases from the letter seemed to fly through his mind as he thought on it, 'condolences', 'will reading', '11am' and 'transport', being the most important things coming to the forefront of his thoughts.

Looking at his watch he noted that it was only 7am, if he left now he could check out the status of his account with the bank, and do some shopping before the will reading. Deciding that he would not be returning to Privet Drive he gathered his possessions and packed them into his school trunk, before shrinking it wandlessly and leaving via the Gringotts portkey.

He knew that leaving Privet Drive was a good idea, after all Dumbledore knew where it was, and he didn't want to have to stay under the old man's watch. Albus Dumbledore had just lost his pawn, no longer would Harry jump to each of the manipulative old goat's whims, he was his own person. When the portkey released the hold it had on his naval he fell to the ground, portkeys had never been his forte, and he hadn't liked them much since he'd been portkeyed to Voldemort in his fourth year.

Harry looked up, to find himself staring into the face of the man in question, or rather the snake in question, because Voldemort still looked rather reptilian to him. The high-pitched voice that went with the body then sounded throughout the room they were in, "Harry Potter, I'm so glad to see that my Allies delivered you to me as promised." He said as he nodded towards a small goblin standing to the side of the room.

He didn't answer, he didn't see the need to, Voldemort was going to kill him anyway, he only wished that he had listened to Dumbledore. The man may have been manipulative, but he had Harry's best interests at heart really, he'd warned him hadn't he. His mind was still unsure as the flash of green light raced towards him if Dumbledore had tried to save Harry or the Boy-who-lived, after all the latter was needed for the 'Greater Good'.


End file.
